1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the disposal of the waste of house pets. More specifically, the invention is an environmentally sound solution to the problem of canine waste disposal.
2. Background of the Invention
The problem of properly disposing of dog waste is as universal as is the widespread affection for dogs as pets. In the United States, it is approximated that 38% of households have a dog. This translates into a canine population of 62 million. The popularity of dogs as pets and service animals is world-wide. As found on the website, www.dog-diaper.com, The New York Times (Nov. 1, 1995) reported that canine laws around the world impose fines that try to effectively control an estimated 25 tons of canine waste produced by 250,000 dogs. It also reported that an average of 650 people a year end up hospitalized after slipping on dog waste uncollected on Paris sidewalks.
A measure of the pet waste disposal problem in urban centers is also reflected in many current U.S. canine laws, sometimes called xe2x80x9cpooper scooperxe2x80x9d laws, both in the U.S. and abroad. These statutes impose considerable fines upon dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs.
Various methods have been advocated for the disposal of animal waste from canine house pets. Present methods of controlling dog waste have been described in, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,481 to Columbo et al. This art involves a kit whose components enable the dog""s human walker to pick up the solid waste and dispose of it in a bag. Many dog walkers follow a similar routine using miscellaneous bags as the pickup and disposal means. Users of this and similar practices are often inconvenienced and embarrassed to pick up the waste by hand, using papers, plastic bags or cumbersome pooper scoopers in order to comply with the law.
Other art, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,267 to Asazuma involves ensnaring and collecting dog waste describes waste capture that minimizes a person""s exposure to the waste. The waste still needs to be deposited somewhere for disposal. There are numerous patents and devices marketed as dog diapers, one of which is U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,421 to Lowman. This particular patent addresses the special needs of incontinent dogs but there are other patented and non-patented dog diapers that eliminate the need for human pick-up of the waste. The diapers are strategically placed on the dog and offer the cleanest way to deal with dog waste both outdoors and indoors, by preventing dog waste from ever being deposited on any floor or outdoor surface. A dog diaper product frees dog owners from having to pick-up waste but the full diaper still needs disposal. Putting a diaper on the dog before use and removing it after use to dispose of it in a garbage can avoids direct contact with the waste, as occurs when the waste is picked up by hand.
Several inventors, including Igual De Valles in U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,834, Janzen et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,844, and Leibowitz in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,001 have developed dog toilet-type devices which use water in some form to wash the waste away. Further toilet-like dog waste disposal is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,605 wherein Kaplan uses a strategically placed paper towel to collect dog waste which is then flushed down a household toilet. Practical success of the methods and devices are unknown.
What is known, however, is that disposal of dog waste is a growing environmental problem. Animal waste poses health hazards in city streets, parks and other public places when uncollected. Furthermore, retrieval of waste in a variety of bags for disposal in garbage cans and/or dumpsters is quite an environmental burden. Adding to the environmental insult is the fact that the unwrapped animal waste itself is very recyclable. When wrapped in a plastic bag and thrown in household trash that is usually sent to land fills, the potentially recyclable waste becomes an environmental burden.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system that allows for an environmentally friendly disposal of solid pet waste into a household or municipal sewer. The animal waste may be scooped with a shovel or similar device negating the necessity and expense for dog diapers, disposal bags, and the like. The waste is then washed into the household or municipal sewer by pouring a quantity of water into a receiver and subsequently, into the sewer.
A further object of this invention is to provide a covered cylindrical plastic receiver which is easily installed in a home by connecting to the home""s sewer cleanout or directly into the sewer line. In this manner, when the dog waste is found in a fenced backyard, a home owner/dog owner can easily use a shovel to deposit the waste in the receiver and a household bucket to pour water in the receiver to xe2x80x9cflushxe2x80x9d the waste into the sewer. Besides being environmentally friendly, there is no need for special tools or scoopers.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a version of the system for use in public parks and the like. This would be larger and constructed of stainless steel or other metal, and comply with the statutes of the municipality in which it is located.
Further objects will be made clear in the figures and detailed description of the invention which follows.
The present invention is directed to a device for the disposal of solid animal waste into a receiver which connects, through a water trap and PVC line, to a sewer. After the waste is deposited into the receiver, it is sent into the sewer by the force a quantity of water which is poured into a receiver by a person using an ordinary household bucket.